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Be Kind. Do Good. Love is a Verb.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The One Good Thing...Review

About the book:For as long as Halley Steen has known her husband Nathan, he has carried a handful of stones in his pocket. Each day he uses those stones to remind him to follow the Golden Rule, moving a stone from one pocket to the other with each act of kindness. So it's not unusual that Nathan stops to help a stranger on the side of the highway while on his way to his son's football game one Friday evening. But that one act will change all of their lives forever, when a car hydroplanes off the road, killing Nathan instantly.As Halley and her children Ty and Alice struggle with their grief, Nathan's spiritual legacy lives on. A Facebook page appears, where countless stories about Nathan's selfless acts are shared. But among them is one that stands out, from a woman who says that Nathan saved her life. Neither Halley nor her children have ever heard of Madeline Zuckerman. But soon Halley discovers years of e-mails from this woman to her husband on his computer that refer to "our little girl." How could her husband have kept the secret of this other child for their entire marriage? Why had he lied to her? Was he not the man she thought he was?Only thirteen-year-old Alice maintains unwavering faith in her father. She knows there's an explanation. When she sets out to find Madeline and learn the truth, she will start to unravel the complex story of The One Good Thing Nathan Steen did that had the greatest impact of all.

Nathan is one of those people who is good and kind and every day he tries to do several acts of kindness. Sometimes those acts are large, but very often they are small and seemingly insignificant except to the person who receives that kindness. When Nathan is tragically killed helping someone else, his family struggles to move forward. As they learn of many acts of kindness performed by Nathan, they learn of a woman from Nathan's past. A woman who claims that Nathan saved her life. As Halley learns more, she believes her husband to have been unfaithful to her. Their daughter Alice believes in her father and sets out to prove that he didn't lie. What the family discovers is an intricate story about a remarkable man.

I read this in a day and it's a book that I want to re-read and savor. I thought I had things figured out and I didn't, completely. I loved these characters and their experiences and growth and I loved the beautiful examples of the ripple effect of choices.

Sometimes you read a book that touches you and makes you want to be a better person. Kevin Alan Milne's books do just that. I want to find 7 small stones and keep them in my pocket.

Thanks to Sarah Reck and CenterStreet for the opportunity to review this book. You can learn more about Kevin Alan Milne here. You can purchase your own copy here.

2 comments:

Oh, this does sound intriguing, and like something that would make me sit up late at night reading! I am wondering about this child, and what exactly the secret was. Oh, you have tempted me greatly with this book!

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